Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for Social Protection how community employment places in an area (details supplied) have been divided up between community organisations; the rationale for the allocation of these places; her views on whether there should be a greater spread of CE posts across community and voluntary organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29717/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Community employment helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. The focus of CE is on developing technical and personal skills to enable a person to return to the open labour market. Persons engaged are provided with work and training placements of 191⁄2 hours duration per week with a not-for-profit community sponsor delivery local services.

FÁS is required to operate within the operational budget set for each programme and the funding allocated for 2011 will allow for the provision of some 23,300 places nationally. If places become available, FÁS uses the following criteria to allocate these places:

· number of people on the live register in the area;

· extent to which the primary objective of the additional positions will increase the employability of unemployed persons;

· whether the service offered by the CE provider is for a disadvantaged group;

· whether the local community views the programme of value, as measured by community support;

· whether the sponsor has got a record of providing a training plan for each person on the programme; and

· whether the sponsor has a record of progressing participants into employment.